Location based services for mobile devices are becoming a more important. Generally, these services include applications on a mobile device or backend cloud services that may use the physical location of the mobile device to tailor communications to the user, provide context to user data, and share user location data for other purposes. Accurately determining the physical location of the mobile device (e.g., and thus the user) may be a function of a number of internal (e.g., with respect to the mobile device) and external systems.
Generally, the mobile device is equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) based mechanism to determine its physical location. Such mechanisms may include a GPS antenna connected to a sensor hub. GPS readings may be taken and analyzed to determine the physical location. In an example, the readings may be communicated to an external system for analysis and the determined physical location returned to the mobile device. Generally, GPS based location determination is performed by the system hardware and software of the mobile device and provided to applications running on the mobile device. Generally, the accuracy of GPS based location systems declines as fewer satellites are visible (e.g., a signal may be received from them). This often becomes an issue when the mobile device is indoors.
LTS systems may be used to provide physical locations in a particular area. For example, when the mobile device is indoors (e.g., inside of a structure) an LTS system may be used. LTS systems generally monitor the mobile device and determine the location of the mobile device. For example, the LTS may be connected to a variety of wireless area network (WLAN) access points (APs) and use trilateration based on signal strength between the mobile device and the access points to determine a location of the mobile device. This is in contrast to the GPS based systems where the mobile device directly determines its location. As used herein, LTS systems provide mobile device locations within a limited (e.g., pre-defined) coverage area. Example LTS coverage areas may include a structure (e.g., a building, convention center, etc.), a subset of a structure (e.g., a department store in a shopping mall), a courtyard, a complex (e.g., entertainment venue, festival grounds, school campus, etc.). An LTS coverage area is not as broad as a city, state, or other large area in which a mobile device directly determines its location. Generally, LTSs are accessed directly by applications on the mobile device and not by the system hardware or software. For example, a department store application connects directly to the LTS for the department store to provide area specific sale notifications or coupons.